Four takeaways from Millwall’s loss at Blackpool – away form is a worry and major reinforcements needed before transfer window closes

The start of this year has not been kind to Millwall and that continued at Blackpool on Saturday afternoon as they were consigned to yet another reverse.

The Lions did not offer much. Just three shots on target in the 90 minutes and not a lot of attacking threat against a side that started the day below Gary Rowett’s side in the Championship table.

The game was settled in the 55th minute. Shayne Lavery fired home a rebound from CJ Hamilton’s shot which had been well saved by Lions stopper Bart Bialkowksi. The closest Millwall came to an equaliser was through substitute Tyler Burey, who forced a smart stop from Daniel Grimshae with 11 minutes to go.

Here are Alex Grace’s four takeaways from the game.

CONCERNS GROWING AS POOR RUN CONTINUES

It has been an awful start to 2022 for the Lions. Gary Rowett’s side have shown their bouncebackability very well in the past and it’s been very rare that a losing run has taken shape. This is the first time during his reign that Millwall have lost three league games on the bounce. If you take the FA Cup game into account, it’s now four defeats in a row in all competitions. Yes, there have been mitigating circumstances with injuries and Covid absences – but as the Lions chief said after the defeat at Bloomfield Road his side must “step up”.

It really is the wrong time for Millwall to be going on a bad run, January is a crucial time in the season and they have some very tough fixtures coming up. Confidence in the camp will be low after this recent run and with West Brom, Preston and Fulham in the next three games that needs to be put right and quickly.

MAJOR REINFORCEMENTS NEEDED IN FINAL WEEK OF THE WINDOW

Rowett had been dealt a huge blow in the last week with both Tom Bradshaw and Sheyi Ojo picking up long-term injuries. Bradshaw had been on a run of six goals in eight games and Ojo had just started to find form. Both players were badly missed at Bloomfield Road.

Add to that the situation surrounding Jed Wallace. His situation remains unclear and according to Rowett, the constant press speculation is beginning to have an effect on some of the other players in the squad. Between Bradshaw and Wallace, Millwall have lost 12 goals.

That might not seem a big number but to a side that have only scored 12 goals in 12 league games that is a very big loss.

Matt Smith was allowed to leave the club alongside Jon Dadi Bodvarsson this week. The latter may not be a big miss to the South Londoners but Smith’s aerial prowess could have given Millwall something at Blackpool. A targetman and a presence in the box was badly missed.

I’m not saying that Smith being on the pitch would have helped Millwall take something from the game but having the option to bring him on could have given the SE16 side a lifeline.

Rowett had hoped that Millwall would be more active than normal in this window but have so far only brought in Ollie Burke and now only have one recognised striker in the squad. All the focus on recruitment is now on attack and it’s clear to see that reinforcements are badly needed.

TYLER BUREY SHOWS ENCOURAGING SIGNS

Gary Rowett did have praise for the former AFC Wimbledon youngster, who came on as a 59th minute substitute. He showed no fear and did try to attack where possible, something that the rest of the team seemed to be afraid to do.

It felt as though when he got the ball, something could happen. I didn’t get that feeling from any other Millwall player at Bloomfield Road which is another huge problem facing the Lions boss in the coming weeks – especially if Jed Wallace does depart.

Burey came closest to getting Millwall a point from the game, his darting run into the box – getting past two Blackpool defenders and forcing a smart stop from Dan Grimshaw – was the best attacking moment for the South Londoners in what was a really tough watch for the fans, who once again travelled well to support their team. Just under 1,000 made the 500-mile round trip and they will not have been encouraged by what they saw.

AWAY DAY PROBLEMS MOUNTING

On top of all the other problems that Gary Rowett is facing, he is now tasked with also sorting out Millwall’s away performances and results. Just one win on their travels since October 16 is simply not good enough for a side that had aspirations to be in the top six.

It’s been a total flip. Home form was the problem last season, perhaps the return of fans to SE16 has ironed out that problem. But for a side that was so strong on the road the collapse in form is a real worrying sign. As is the loss of clean sheets. The Lions have been right up there in terms of clean sheets in the last two seasons but have fallen away significantly in that department this season with just five shutouts in 26 matches. If you are not going to score goals then you need to keep them out at the other end.

It won’t just be the results that will be worrying the fans, it will be the manner of them. A poor performance in Blackpool was backed up by poor performances at the likes of Hull, Peterborough and Huddersfield. The win at Coventry was not the result of a good performance, as both sides were below par.